I turn to Romans chapter 5 again. Romans chapter 5. My title is Gleanings from Romans
chapter 5. As my title suggests, I am not
now going to try to go through this verse by verse or anything
like that. What I mean by gleaning is I
just want to pick up a truth here and there. Pick up things
that are not directly dealt with in the text. For instance, here's
a question. Why do men reject faith as a
direct and personal gift of God? You understand that men and women
do that today. Most of so-called Christianity
does not believe that faith is a direct and personal gift from
God. They believe faith is a general
gift of God to all men and all men can believe if they just
will. Paul doesn't deal with that as
a question in Romans chapter 5. But why is it that men reject
faith as a direct and personal gift of God? So you see what
I'm talking about gleaning here. There are some answers in Romans
chapter five. Number one, they reject faith
as a direct and personal gift of God because they cannot see
their enmity against God. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have what? Peace with God. Mankind in general
does not believe he or she is an enemy of God. Had had an individual tell someone
we all know very well just a week or so ago Well, I deserve to
be of love just just as much as anybody else does That's totally missing the truth
No one deserves the love of God They cannot see their enmity
against God. Paul goes on to say in chapter
8, the carnal mind is enmity against God because it's not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. And what is the
reason for the law? Moreover, in our text we read,
moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound. The
law tells each and every individual that you have no standing before
God Almighty in this world. But not every individual sees
that. It takes the direct and personal gift of God, and that
is faith, before any person will ever see their own enmity against
God. Not only is that a reason, but
they hate the mediatorial uniqueness of Christ. Therefore, being justified
by faith, we have peace with God. Most may not mind that if
they think, I'm not really God's enemy, but me and God does need
something to kind of help fix us up together. But it even becomes
more of an animosity toward fallen man when he reads, therefore
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ. And only through Him. by whom,
not by what or by which, but by whom we have access by faith
into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory
of God. Men reject faith as a direct
and personal gift of God because they indeed hate Jesus Christ
Himself. Thirdly, they scoff the reason
men and women reject faith as a direct and personal gift of
God is because they scoff at God's sovereign reign in all
things. All things. Have you ever heard
it said, in this day and age, how could a loving God do this? Or how could a loving God allow
that? How does a loving God allow sin
in the universe? The problem is they even think
it's a legitimate question. To question God is error and
rebellion no matter what. They're trying to figure out
who God is when God has clearly revealed who He is in this book.
They scoff at God's sovereign reign in all things. And to them,
it's actually a legitimate question. But Paul here in our text is
clear. While he's not trying to teach
this in particular, he is teaching God's love is particular. What
does he say in verse 8? But God commendeth His love toward
us. You see that? But God commendeth
His love toward us. And he goes on even further in
Romans chapter 8 to say clearly that the love of God is found
only in Christ Jesus our Lord. You see, men glory in human faith. They don't mind a human faith
or at least a faith that's wrought out or wrought into being or
coaxed along by human will. that glory and that kind of thing.
But a God-given faith bows men and women to God as God in Christ
Jesus in all things. So much so that it's not just
therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God
and we rejoice and hope for the glory of God and not only that
but we glory. We glory in tribulation also. That's a strong statement. Now
listen to what I'm about to say. I know it can be misunderstood.
And I've been misunderstood before, sometimes rightfully so, because
I probably did not state things accurately. And I am not going
to say I'm stating this perfectly, but listen to me. Constant despair
in trying circumstances flows from constant unbelief and distrust
in God. That's just the way it is. That's
what it is. And not only so, but we glory
in tribulation also. Why? Because we know tribulation
works patience. Patience, experience. And experience,
hope. And hope makes not ashamed. Ashamed
of what? It's not a what, it's a who. Because the love of God. Who's in control of tribulation?
who ordained tribulation. God did. So if I am in constant
despair, it cannot be that I'm in but constant unbelief. This
is why men and women must lay on the psychiatrist's couch and
spill their beans to someone else. This is why they must take
the drugs. That basically does nothing more.
It doesn't fix the problem. It doesn't change the circumstances.
It doesn't make the trials any less. It just numbs the mind
and the senses and the feelings to reality. You can get that
out of a bottle of scotch. Yeah. That's exactly right. You don't
even have to have a prescription for that. Do you understand what I'm saying? If I know God Almighty is God
Almighty and I love Him for being God Almighty and I'm not ashamed
of Him, then any constant despair, I said constant despair is because
of constant unbelief and a lack of love for Him. That's just the way it is. Paul
is not dealing with people here. Well, you're having trials and
let me show you the problem here or the glory. That's not the
whole, even the meaning. But that's what's taught. That's
a gleaning here. Do you see what I'm saying? If faith brings me
peace with God, and it does, through our Lord Jesus Christ,
then that faith also teaches me what? To glory in tribulation.
because the sufferings of this world are not, and he goes on
to say it, are not worthy to be compared with the glory that
shall be revealed in us. We've had a glory revealed to
us already. For you and I to even be allowed
to speak the name of God with the hope of love and mercy and
compassion is a gift of God. So again I say, as Paul, you
know, you remember 2 Corinthians chapter 1 I believe it is. Paul
said, I was pressed above measure. I despaired. But not forever. Not constantly. What did it do?
Because he had been given particularly and individually this gift of
God called faith, it forced him to flee to Jesus Christ. If it forces you to flee to anything
else, It's unbelief. That's right. If it forces you
to flee to the bottle, it's unbelief. If it forces you to flee to the
psychiatrist's couch, it's unbelief. Name it for what it is. Now this
is why I say people misunderstand. Well, you're saying if somebody's
ever been to a psychiatrist or took some kind of psychotropic
drug that they're an unbeliever. No, I didn't say that. I'm saying
call it for what it is. It's unbelief. Whether it's unbelief
in me, unbelief in you, or unbelief in Paul the Apostle, either one.
But there's one thing about those who've been given faith by the
gift of God or as the gift of God. All things drive them eventually
to Jesus Christ. All things. That's just the way it is. Here's another gleam. Why do
men reject with abhorrence, and I stress with abhorrence, why
do men object with abhorrence absolute, particular, definite,
assured reconciliation by Jesus Christ? In other words, why do
men reject that everyone for whom Christ died He reconciled. And everyone He reconciled, they
all shall be saved by His life. It can't be because there is
no clear testimony in Scripture. Scripture is not vague on this
thing of particular redemption or definite redemption or limited
atonement. It's not vague on it. In our
text, Romans 5, He states it clearly. Christ died and reconciled
some people when He died. And everyone He dies will be
saved by His life. And that in turn guarantees that
they're going to receive the reconciliation. And then he even
goes on to show it by representative union. Whoever Adam represented,
they all fail. Whoever Christ represented, they're
all raised up. Right? It's right here, clear
in scripture. So why do men reject with abhorrence absolute reconciliation? Now again, as I say, it's a gleaning.
Paul's not dealing with it because some people weren't believing
in limited atonement. But here's some reasons. It cannot,
as I said, it cannot be a lack of scriptural evidence. It's
right here in our text. And here's why. Here's why. They
cannot see their utter strengthlessness. Chapter 5 verse 6, for when we
were yet without strength. Now anyone who says that a man
has a free will then says that man's will has some strength
at least. Paul says we were without strength. without strength. This is why
men reject with abhorrence absolute reconciliation. You go tell somebody
today, go out to Walmart and tell them Jesus Christ didn't
die for the sins of everybody and you see how they react to
you. Most of them don't even realize there's such a question,
let alone an answer to it and that the Bible's full of the
answer. They'll look at you like you're
cross-eyed or something or like you have a big wart on the end
of your nose. The reason is they don't see their utter strengthlessness. They think Jesus is just there
as an aid to help them to God. No, Peter said he had to bring
us to God. Being put to death in the flesh
but quickened by the Spirit. You don't need Jesus to help
you to God. He has to bring you to God. They cannot see their utter strengthlessness. There's another one. They cannot
taste their enmity toward God. What does he say? He says, for
if when we were enemies, enemies. Most people think, well, they're
really immoral people. They're enemies of God. Do not
get me wrong. And Apostle Paul is quite clear.
Read 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verses 9, 10, 11, and 12 again. The
unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Fornicators,
idolaters, effeminate, abusers of themselves with mankind. Go
right on down the list. Go right on down the list. But let me tell you something.
Your immorality may well be a manifestation of your enmity against God too.
Your morality may be. It was in those Pharisees, Joe.
They thought that their morality commended them to God. Now, we may say some men are
immoral, some men are moral. But God doesn't call upon us
to be moral. He demands we be righteous. You
see? That's why immorality, morality,
or what is it? Amorality. None of it matters.
That's not the point. Now I realize because I've just
said that, there are those that say, well I'll go ahead and be
immoral. Well you go ahead and be immoral. If you die immoral,
you'll die and go to hell. I mean there is no out with God.
You may confound my language, but you won't confound God's
truth. You may trip me up and get me to stuttering, but you
won't get God to stuttering when you stand before Him one day. As I said, the reason men reject
with abhorrence absolute reconciliation is one, it's not because there's
no scriptural evidence. It's because they cannot see
their utter strengthlessness. They cannot taste their enmity
against God. When I was driving to our worship
service this morning, I could taste my enmity against God. Did you know that? Now maybe
you didn't this morning, but I bet you did some morning. Huh? That if it were not for the sovereign
hand of God upon me, I would turn with the most abhorrence
toward everything that's good, everything that's pure, everything
that's lovely, everything that's just, and I'd run my own way. I'd kick up and snuff at the
wind like a wild ass has coped. And you can do that in morality
just as well as immorality. You can do it in either one.
Either way. Either way. Here's another thing. Another reason why men object
with abhorrence, absolute reconciliation. They cannot see their spiritual
death. Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and
death by sin." And folks, that's spiritual death. Physical death
came as a result of the spiritual death. It was pronounced afterward. The spiritual death was pronounced
as a result, a judgment of the eating of the fruit by Adam.
And that spiritual death fell on Adam that day that he ate
of it. Men cannot see their spiritual death. That's why they reject
with abhorrence absolute reconciliation. Think of it. Men reject absolute
reconciliation only when they cannot see their need of it. If you ever see that unless God
Almighty does it all, it won't get done. As long as you think
you can do one little part, then you'll seek to somehow lessen
the work of Jesus Christ. Men reject absolute reconciliation
only when they cannot see their own personal need of it. I mean, you can believe in the
doctrine of limited atonement, but still think that you are
receiving the blessings because you acknowledge the doctrine
of limited atonement. If you have experienced the blessings
of limited atonement, that is, not limited in power, but limited
in scope. If you have received the blessings
of limited atonement, it happened to you in spite of you. For if
when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death
of His Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
And not only that, but we also join God through our Lord Jesus
Christ by whom we have received the reconciliation. You don't
receive it by free will or anything. You receive it by Him. He wrote
it and He gives it. So I say again, men reject it
only because they don't see their need of it. When a man or a woman
is shut up by God Almighty to shut up about themselves, then
and then only are they ready receptors for the truth of God.
Now, here's a prevalent thought today. Let me give you another
glimpse. Job kind of mentioned it. We wouldn't do a little bit
more detail about it. There is a prevalent thought
today. It's no longer, Joe, it's no longer even called the theory
of evolution. Now, your words about theory and all that, that's
fine, that's great, I'm not going to argue that, but they don't
even call it the theory of evolution anymore. Now it's the fact of
evolution. They get on TV and they purport
it, and they don't even call it a fact anymore. They think
it's already understood by anybody that's got any sense. Evolution's
a fact. And if you don't believe that,
you're just some kind of dodo bird. You're close to it. You're right on the cusp of being
extinct. Maybe you are. But listen to
me. Listen to me. Here's a gleaning.
Paul's not dealing with evolution here. Is he? No, he's not dealing
with evolution. Here's a gleaning. Why do men
so wholeheartedly swallow that and reject a literal Genesis
account? Why is it? Here's why. Wherefore
as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin,
so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. That's why they reject it. It's not about empirical evidence.
They don't have empirical evidence for evolution. They say this thing started by
a big bang. And where did the big bang come
from? Where did whatever banged come from? And then you have
these other quasi-Christians, or I probably should say pseudo-Christians,
who try to meld the two together. And maybe God just made a big
bang, and the big bang they're hearing in this static noise
was God when everything come into being. I don't know about
all that. I have no idea, but I do know
this. It says, in the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth. He spoke the word and day by day, 24 hour period, He
spoke things into existence. And men reject that because of
the outcome of what took place in that garden where that one
man and one woman was. When Adam took of that fruit,
we all fell in him. And that's what they really hate.
That's what they're trying to avoid. And let me tell you something,
only a fool denies the universality of sin. Only a fool. If sin was not universal, there'd
at least be one or two societies out there somewhere that are
perfect. And then the problem is, once
we who are not perfect discover them, we would corrupt them. But we know that's not true.
They even admit we kind of spread back over this earth. But what
did we do? We took our sin with us. Didn't
we? We took our sin with us. Only
a fool denies the universality of sin. They want to act like
sin is some kind of archaic thing. Watch TV. Look at the news. Read
the newspaper. Look online. It's everywhere. Only a fool denies man's state
in Adam. Let me show you why. Like Adam,
still today, like Adam, we try to cover. That's the first thing
Adam did after he fell. Remember? He tried to cover himself. We're still doing it today. We
use philosophy. We think we can think ourselves
clothed. There is this innate sense of nakedness before whatever
there is. You know what I'm saying? I don't
mean physically now. I'm talking about this nakedness of the heart
and the mind and the soul. There's this innate sense of
it, but just like Adam when he fell, what do we do? We construct
something to try to cover ourselves. We do it through philosophy.
We do it through education. They actually think they can
educate bad out of people. We can educate bad out of them.
Look at the education we have now in sin. We call it crime
nowadays. That's a good word for it, but
it runs rampant, doesn't it? It runs rampant. We think we
can educate this sin away. Or human religion. We'll come
up with a religion that suits us a little better. Doesn't speak
quite so badly of ourselves. That's what we need. And yet,
even then, just like with Adam, it's still not enough. You know
why? Because like Adam, we go try to hide amongst the trees
of the garden. Remember even after Adam and
Eve made their fig leaf aprons? They heard the voice of God coming.
And what'd they do? They went and hid themselves
amongst the trees of the garden. Now, don't look for some great
big, what were the trees of the garden? God's creation. Right? So they then tried to say, realize
my own personal work won't do it. I still feel this innate
sense of nakedness even though Adam and Eve were clothed now,
Joe. They knew this one coming here, this aprons, these fig
leaf aprons ain't gonna cut it. So they went and hid amongst
the creation. We still do that today. We hide
ourselves amongst our work, don't we? We apply ourselves to it,
some more honestly than others granted, but we give ourselves
to it. We give ourselves to entertainment
or enjoying things. There's nothing wrong in and
of itself with entertainment, is there? Nothing wrong with
pleasures, but the problem is we try to hide amongst it. We
try to hide ourselves from God in the middle. I'd say, but look
God, we're enjoying your creation. And we still run to human religion
again. It's almost like we can't get rid of that. Now I understand,
everybody's not like this, but remember some are given over
to a reprobate mind. Remember some have their consciences
seared with a hot iron. So at one time, Joe, they had
a conscience that could feel these things. But even then,
even when you feel it, you always do the wrong thing. A fig leaf
apron? Don't cut it. Hiding amongst
the trees? Don't cut it! Does it! He's the God who created
all this! And you know what? Even then
when we're caught red-handed, Adam was caught red-handed, wasn't
he? Wasn't he caught red-handed? Wasn't he? And even today, when
men's caught red-handed, what does he then do? What's the third
thing Adam did? He tried to blame God. The woman
you gave me. Now there's your reason for hating
men. Women. And this is the reason why men
hate women. Not because of the woman, but
because we hate God. The woman thou gavest me. You
see the little innuendo there? Huh? You see it? You know, economic
corruption is not real after all. Don't you know? This is
just kind of a hiccup of evolution. Really? Really? Think of it. Fallen, corrupt
God-haters tout man's ascent, not his immediate descent in
Adam. Evolution teaches we are growing
up, going up, going up, going up, right? We began as a little,
as Earl used to say, an amoeba with a word on it, and it turned
into a leg or something, you know. We began as this little
old thing, and it just all kind of expanded and kept, and it's
getting more glorious and glorious, and you know the only thing that
stands in the way now? the earth ain't gonna last as long as we
might. Right? So now it saved the earth. Right? Now folks can, I'm no
scientist by any means. I'm not a medical doctor, but
I do know this, God Almighty, called me to preach His gospel.
And by His grace, I do know some of the gospel. And I do know
what His truth says, what He says it plain out. Wherefore,
as by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin,
so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. In
that one man, He goes on in detail to say that's true. For as by
one man's disobedience, many were made sinners. There's your
answer for all this. Think of it. They say we're ascending,
not descending. And our descent is not gradual.
They don't even say, well, man's evolved so far, now we're devolving. They don't even teach that, do
they? Our only problem is we need more education. We need
to teach ourselves better. We need more philosophy. We need
to just get along with love. Let's just get along with love.
Trying to ask the lion to love the gazelle, he does. He loves
it for food. He doesn't love it as a companion.
He loves it for food And that's just the way it is And we love
our sin Like food we drink it. Oh that we drink up iniquity
what like wire We have and are not evolving We're not evolving
We're not even devolving We fell in Adam in the garden. Evolution
is a lie. They will never scientifically
prove it right. I will make that bold statement.
They will never scientifically prove it right. All they can
do is lie about it. And every now and then, like
Joseph, they get caught in their own lies. But remember, they
don't remind you about their lies. They sell it. They'll give
it in a time magazine in three lines of a great big three-piece
paper. We were wrong here. We thought
this back yonder. We found out now we're wrong.
And then they forget about it. I don't trust them in any of
it. Here's the question, why should I? They're not seeking
the truth of God. They're seeking to exalt man
and dethrone God. I mean, I had a quote from a
scientist. He said, our main problem in this world is this,
God and sin. That's our problem. God and sin. Not that God existed. He don't
believe God. It's the idea of God. And the idea of sin is somehow
an offense against God. He said, if we could wipe those
things out, society would be much better. The man's a fool. Because if we did, we would be
like the beast of the earth and devour one another wholeheartedly. Their main concern now, as I
said, is the planet not lasting as long as we do. Somebody says, you don't care
about the planet. I really don't. Do you hear me? This planet is
not my home. My home is a new heaven and a
new earth. Now does that mean I ought to
foul my nest? Earl, you say no. But let me
tell you, this earth is waxing old like a garment. And you cannot
stop it. And I cannot stop it. The Republicans
can't stop it. And the Democrats can't stop
it. And the independents can't stop it. It will not be stopped.
God will wipe this thing out one day. And we, with some God-given wisdom,
may we use it. Not abuse it, but may we use
it. But let's use it. That's what it's here for. But you see, if you believe you
evolved from an amoeba, what else you got to look forward
to? Huh? Let me sum it up. God's Word
has full veracity. Full veracity. Paul didn't just
fall into the old play, well, there was this actual little,
it's a literal creation because it was literally created. And
when you read this book, take it literally unless the book
lets you know within its very context that it's speaking otherwise. I'm serious. I don't care if
it's Revelation chapter 20 and it has to do with the thousand
years of the millennium. You better take it exactly like
it says it unless it gives you full reason not to. For a reason,
the thing is speaking metaphorically, symbolically. I hear people,
well let's spiritualize it. Maybe they can spiritualize that.
There is no such thing. You don't spiritualize, you don't
have the breath of life. Only God can breathe spirit. The opposite of spiritual is
not literal. So I said well spiritual not
literal listen. I'm there even grace people are
falling into that trap The opposite of spiritual is what Cardo the
opposite of literal is symbolic Now I'm not the brightest bulb
in the pack, but I know that much I God's Word has, I didn't say
it's full of veracity. I said God's Word has full veracity. It is the truth. Men and women
rest it. They twist it. They ignore it. They deny it. They avoid it. They mock it. Yet, let God be
true and every man a liar. Father oh God teach us these
things God Bow us down to your son Bow us to your word bow us
to your authority And God calls us to love it ask it in Christ
name amen